Broken Ceramic
by Yotsubadancesintherain5
Summary: Things that are shattered cannot be repaired (unless you have the right kind of glue.) Part six of the Yotsuba & Frisk series.
1. Wooden Bridges Burn

It was nearly dusk when Mr. Koiwai was working on translation documents in his office. This particular assignment was a book that detailed the return of Monsters, with various interviews packed inside. Mr. Koiwai idly wondered if this was sent to him because Yotsuba was friends with Frisk. He was thinking about the work of a child ambassador when he heard excited chatter. Yotsuba was talking about making food or something like that.

Mr. Koiwai thought about going down there.

He heard the sound of glass breaking and quickly headed to the kitchen. When he stepped in, he saw shards of a plate on the floor. The two kids were looking at the pieces with horror.

"Don't come over here," Mr. Koiwai warned. He got a dustpan and a broom and began to sweep up the glass.

"It was Frisk!" Yotsuba said. She pointed accusingly at them and their expression changed from horror to incredulous.

"I don't care who did it right now - _don't _come over here."

Yotsuba stepped back and started talking again. "It's true, they tried to get the plate and it slipped! Now it broke, oh no."

Frisk tapped her shoulder and signed, though she could only catch "bad".

"I'm not bad! Tell daddy you broke the plate."

Frisk signed the word again.

"I'm not bad," Yotsuba insisted. "Stop lying!"  
Frisk crossed their arms and made a face at her. They turned around and went to the front door and left. The door wasn't slammed but the click sounded final.

Yotsuba turned back to Mr. Koiwai.

"You believe me, right?"

Mr. Koiwai tilted the dustpan and the shards fell into a trash bag.

"Do you want to see Niou-san again?"

"No!"

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

Yotsuba watched him carry the trash bag out and clasped her hands together.

Toriel looked out into the living room. Frisk had come home early and made a nest with the blankets on the couch. They refused to tell anybody what was wrong, if that was the case.  
There was a little plate of untouched ginger cookies nearby them. Papyrus had called the treats an "authentic human feel-super food" and left the plate there for them when they were ready.

Toriel smiled a little. She motioned for the brothers to follow her and they sat nearby Frisk.

"Frisk, would you like to talk with us, now?" she asked.

A blanket moved and Frisk's head emerged from the nest. Their hair was full of static.  
They looked down and nodded.

"Had a fight with Yotsuba," they signed.

"Oh, my dear, I'm sorry."

Toriel held out her arms and Frisk gladly took the hug. Papyrus offered one of the cookies and they took it, taking small bites.

They told in detail what happened and Toriel shook her head. "That was not fair. It must have hurt to be blamed like that."  
She brushed some crumbs off the corner of their mouth.

"But she must have been afraid of being punished. It does not justify her lying, of course, but why she did it."

Sans nodded. "kid, sometimes burning bridges if the best thing to do. it was already rotten and you gotta collect the nails. but this bridge, it ain't even done being built. and i doubt you'd be board with that friendship."

Papyrus stifled an annoyed noise and said, "I DON'T THINK DANDELION WOULD WANT TO BE YOUR FOE! WHY DON'T YOU TALK TO HER TOMORROW?"

Frisk chewed on the last bit of cookie and nodded. They shared the rest with everyone.

It was time for sleep, but there was something on Mr. Koiwai's mind. He turned over his side to look at his daughter.

"Yotsuba, I want to talk about earlier today."

She pulled the covers over her face and Mr. Koiwai reached over to pull them back down.

"I didn't do it," Yotsuba said.

"Not about that. I'm talking about your fight with Frisk."

Yotsuba turned onto her left side.

"Listen, this is your first fight with a friend, and -"

"Friends don't fight," Yotsuba replied bitterly.

"Don't be silly," Mr. Koiwai said. "This won't be the last time you get into a fight, but it's the first time you can mend it."

"... Shut up, daddy! I'm trying to sleep."

Mr. Koiwai sighed and rolled onto his back. It was worth a shot.

It was quiet until Yotsuba asked hesitantly, "Daddy, do you think Frisk hates me?"

"Why would they hate you?"

"Because I lied and said they broke the plate... I'm sorry."

"I already told you, it's your job to make mistakes," Mr. Koiwai said. "Tell Frisk you're sorry. And don't lie, okay?"

"Okay." Yotsuba pulled the covers back up and drifted off to sleep.


	2. Stone Bridges are Sturdier

Yotsuba pulled her jacket on, almost knocking over the little broom leaning against the wall. She would have to sweep the walk later, this was more important. She wouldn't be going anywhere on her bike, so leaving this early was okay.

She walked out into the cold air and breathed, her breath visible. She started out on her walk and got about a block away from her home before she stopped.

Frisk was running down the street, and almost fell when they stopped their run. They had a jacket over their pajamas and their hair was sticking up a little. They were holding a piece of paper that looked like it was folded and unfolded many times.

Yotsuba took in a breath and walked up to them, her hands curled up. She looked them right in the eye.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry for lying and saying you did it."

Frisk looked away. They unfolded their paper and passed the crinkled document to her.

The words were hard to make out on the paper, but they spelled out, "I forgive you".

Yotsuba glanced up from the paper, her eyes watery. Frisk shifted their weight, glancing at her, before spreading their arms open.

Yotsuba took the hug and rested her chin on their shoulder. They made a "shh, shhh" noise with their breath and teeth, softly patting her back.

When the two drew away, Yotsuba took their hand and invited them to eat breakfast at the Ayases'. Frisk nodded and the two walked together.

**A/N: Originally posted on Ao3 on November 25 2016**

**No matter how old you get having a fight with a friend is one of the worst things ever.**

**Title from an experience in my childhood when I accidentally broke off a ceramic bunny's ear.****  
****That one line about "friends don't fight" brought back a weird sense of nostalgia. I probably said that at one point. I also know that we got info on what the first name of Yotsuba's dad is but he'll always be Koiwai-san/Mr. Koiwai to me.**


End file.
